Pi Day:Celebrate Pi by Eating Pies

Joyce Peterson

∷李殊 选 赵阳 注

Pi day has rolled around once more: the day when mathematics fans everywhere—particularly in the US,where the date is written 3.14—celebrate everyone’s favourite mathematical constant.1. 又是一年一度的π日，在3月14日这一天，世界各地尤其是美国的数学爱好者都会一起颂扬这个最受欢迎的数学常量。constant: 常量。

If you are wondering about the best time of day to celebrate,unfortunately you have already missed it. The first few digits2. digit: 数位。,3.14159, translates this year into March 14 at 1:59 am. It will be at a more sociable hour in four years’ time, when the festivities should kick off on 3.14.15 at 9:26:53.3. festivity: 庆典，欢庆；kick off: 开始。

Don’t let the niceties4. nicety: 精确，细节。of timing put you off, though. Princeton University has already celebrated with an extended weekend of events, culminating in a celebration of Pi day itself.5. 普林斯顿大学将不止周末的时间都排满了庆祝活动，这些活动在3月14日这天达到高潮。culminate: 达到高潮。The fourday event included pi recitations6. recitation: 背诵。, pie eating contests, and pi shopping deals for $3.14 or $31.40. Today is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, leading to the inevitable creation of the Einstein Pie.

But don’t worry if you can’t make it to a pi party in person.7. 如果你本人不能去参加“派”对也不必着急。in person: 亲自，本人。You can still dial in. Pi fan Christopher Poole8. Christopher Poole: 克里斯托弗·普尔，美国在线网络社区4chan.org网站的创始人。has set up a pi phone—call the US telephone number 253 243-2504 to hear the digits read out. Don’t listen for too long, though: since pi goes on forever, who knows how much it could add to your phone bill.

自然世界奇异辽阔，我们的精神世界同样精彩万千。一群对数字π情有独钟的粉丝在3月14日聚在一起，庆祝这个奇妙的数字。他们的庆祝活动花样儿还不少，唯一有极限的只会是我们的想象力！

History

The earliest known of ficial or large-scale celebration of Pi Day was organized by Larry Shaw in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium, where Shaw worked as a physicist, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies.9. 最早一次官方大型π日庆祝活动始于1988年，当时就职于旧金山探索馆的物理学家拉里·肖组织其他工作人员和公众绕圈行进，而后又一起畅享水果派。large-scale: 大规模的，大范围的；San Francisco Exploratorium: 美国旧金山探索馆。The Exploratorium continues to hold Pi Day celebrations.

On March 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution (HRES 224), recognizing March 14, 2009, as National Pi Day.10. House of Representatives: （美国）众议院；non-binding resolution: 无约束力的决议。

For Pi Day 2010, Google presented a Google Doodle11. Google Doodle: 由Google的Doodle画师用彩色的Google公司标志表现出特殊事件。celebrating the holiday, with the word Google laid over images of circles and pi symbols.

Date abstractions12 fromπ

Pi Day is observed13. observe: 庆祝，过（节日，生日等）。on March 14 because of the date’s representation as 3/14 in month/day date format. This representation adheres to the commonly used approximation14. approximation: 近似值。of 3.14 for π.

The fractional15. fractional: 分数的，小数的。approximation of π, 22/7, resembles the date July 22 in the day/month format, where it is written 22/7. Pi Approximation Day is therefore observed on July 22.